Beneath the surface
Chapter 1
Beneath the surface is only the unknown.
You don't know what or who lies there, and whatever dwells there don't know about you either.
If you for a moment let yourself, you can almost see it. Something with a mind, just like yours.
However, you are still worlds apart.
Forever separated. Forever alone.
“Ashley, it time to go” my uncle shouts from downstairs,
I wake from my daydreaming and realize it's time for our weekly fishing hour.
“im ready” I responded, while putting on my fishing gear.
The sun is shining through the Window in my room, illuminating the bookshelves and medical equipment. My room is on the 2nd floor of the cabin, so the view over the ocean is quite pleasant.
We go outside and head to the quay where Uncle's fishing boat is.
The Wind is blowing, but the ocean is rather still.
On our way to the boat we hear the seagulls above and greet the fishermen in the area.
I ask my uncle where he thinks we should go. ”I think the place near the cave is good this time of year” he says.
I'm visiting him in his place at the sea-side town for the summer, and despite seeing fishing as a boys-thing he lets me go with him when he's fishing. My dad said it was fine, as long as we don't go too far out shore. As much as i like the city, i quite like the seaside town, as it helps me relax and i feel at peace very much. Plus I love doing my morning jogs on the beach.
After going to the place that we decided we take out our fishing rods and settle down.
A few minutes we just sit there, looking out, thinking about anything our minds wander to.
Suddenly I felt a strong pull on my rod. It is stronger than any fish I have caught before, almost as there was a human on the other end. ”This must be a big one” i think to myself as i continue to struggle”
I try to reel it in, but it is too strong and I have to let it go. Uncle says it's no problem, and we decide to go back to land. ”We can try again some time,” i think to myself.
As we are leaving I see something move under the surface. I assume it's just a large fish, but something about it looks…odd. It almost looks like…a human.
Before i can make out what it is, its gone, having vanishes into the depth.
Chapter 2
We get home and uncle decided to make some tea for us.
I decided to change clothes due to them getting soaked. As i do i recall what i saw and wonder what I could have been.
“Hey uncle” I say in a quiet voice, “are there any legends of sea creatures around this area?”
“huh…you mean like giant squids or sharks or whatever” my uncle responds.
“I dunno..the thing i caught today seemed rather large and heavy” i say.
I think about the human like shape i saw swimming away and wonder..what could it have been, and is it still out there.
“Well..there have happened a few times before, fishermens and sailors spotting strange beings under the surface..and sometimes feeling strong struggles in their nets and hooks', this area has larger fishes then most but I'm not sure what else it could be”.
I take in what he said. ”Maybe that was it……oh well”.
“I think i'm going to bed now” i say, wanting time to think for myself.
“Sounds good..good night Ashley” uncle says in a calm and understanding tone.
Even though he can be hard headed sometimes I do really like my uncle, he's the one part of my family i feel truly comfortable with talking to about anything.
I enter my room and start putting on my night dress. I spot blood on it and immediately rush to the bathroom.
A few minutes later I am in bed and am trying to fall asleep.
Despite not doing a lot today, I feel exhausted and tired and it doesn't take a long time before I feel my eyelids feeling heavy.
“It was probably nothing under the surface” I think and wonder what I will do tomorrow.
Chapter 3
In my dreams I am on the beach,looking out over the horizon.
It appears to be night time, and the moon is in full view.
I dip my feet in the water, it is cold but pleasant.
The air is still and not a sound can be heard.
Not a person in Sight.
When I look down, I see a string of red seeping through the water.
I then hear a scream coming from the water.
I look out and see someone drowning.
I start swimming towards them, but no matter how much i swim i can't get near them
When I finally get there the person has lost consciousness and I have to grab their hand to stop them from being submerged in water.
I look up to the sky, only to see a full moon staring down at me
“You aren't meant to be”
I hear these in my mind, but I can't tell who said it.
Everything goes dark, and I feel cold.
I awake in a cold sweat, and spend the rest of the night sleepless.
”What was that dream about”.
Chapter 4
I go down to the kitchen to make myself some morning coffee.
While I prefer tea, coffee is easily the best way for me to have a good start.
I brush my teeth, water the plants, and write in my dairy of what happened yesterday as I forgot about that.
I compliment going on a walk to shake off what has happened the last few days.
I put on my shoes and my uncle's jacket and baseball cap with fishermen tags on it, as my own is in the dryer, and head out for the morning walk along the beachside, which is my favorite thing to do here. The calmness and silence of the sea is a great change of pace from the noise of everyday life. I especially enjoy having the wind tug at my long, hazelnut brown hair.
I look out over the sea and think about the dream I had last night.
“I wonder what that was about,” I thought to myself, as I often believe dreams have some sort of meaning.
Many times i've dreamed of something that has happened in real life, so this might be the same.
But maybe it was just about what I saw while fishing.
When I'm lost in thought I hear something.
A small, barely audible panting noise, like that of a wounded animal, and on occasion a small whimper of pain.
Strangely enough, while people usually don't go to this part of the beach, outside from myself, the noises sound oddly human.
“It may be someone who was hurt swimming on one of those sea urchins” I think, and rushed over trying to find them.
I track down where the noise comes from and it leads me to a small cave opening.
I've seen this cave a few times before, but never ventured into it.
Outside I spot a few red spots in the sand, and realize this person must be hurt.
“Hello, is anyone there?” I shouted into the cave.
No response.
It's cold and dark, so I take out a small flashlight in my pocket,and Shine a light in front of me to see where I'm going.
“I'm coming in there now, ok?” shout and start walking into the darkness.
As the darkness grows stronger, my light starts to fade but I can still see but only barely.
I'm starting to want to go back and get someone else to help, but I decided to atleast check on the person who's injured.
I hear the noises even louder now and go around a large rock to finally see its source
What I see is going to change my life forever.
Chapter 5
It is a girl. A relatively normal looking girl.
She has medium length dirty-blonde hair, dark green eyes, and is wearing a T-shirt with red and white rose petals on them. She is quite skinny, especially compared to my more well-toned build, and her skin is pale , but with an odd hint of gray.
If you saw her while out on town, you wouldn't think much of her.
She really appears as just a normal girl, around my age i would even say.
What is not normal however, is what is below her waist. Instead of having legs and feet, she has a long, blue colored fishtail with a fin in the shape of a heart.
I recognize what she is almost immediately, a creature I have heard several stories of as a young girl.
She is a mermaid.
I kneel down and try to reach out to her to touch her cheek. She draws back, whimpering in fear and pain. I look at her tail and see she is injured and one of her scales is missing, seemingly from a hook of some kind.
I think back on what happened yesterday with the fishing. “oh god..did i do that..no it seems more recent”, i think to myself.
”Doesn't matter right now anyways”
The mermaid strat quivering even more
“Hey,hey,it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you” I whisper. It looks like she understands me and stops shaking.
I rip off a part of my shirt and use it to cover her wound.
“There, that should do it for now, i,ll be back later with some food okay” a say to her
She nods as I exit the cave.
Chapter 6
On my way home, I go to the grocery store to pick some food.
I decided to go with rice balls ,pears, and ice tea.
I consider sushi, but realize it may be weird for a mermaid to eat.
When I get home I pack it in a backpack which I hide in my room and take out my jacket from the dryer.
“what happened to your shirt?” Uncle asks when he sees my ripped-off sleeve.
”Oh no ... .forgot about that” i think to myself.
“Oh, I just..stumbled into a bush and branches tore them off” I lied to avoid suspicion.
”Umm ... .alright then, be careful next time, alright” he responds.
I figure it's best to keep my new friends a secret for now, just in case.
Who knows how he will react, even though I do trust him.
I remember what he told me about fishermans seeing unusual shapes and thinking it might have been her.
”I just look out for her until she's ready to be on her Own again”.
The next day I head back to the cave, now with food and a live.aid kit to patch up her wound better. And sure enough she is still there, wanting for me.
Chapter 7
“My name is Jessica by the way, thanks for saving me before” says the mermaid while we share the food I brought.
She has a very gentle voice, and it's quite pleasant to listen to.
“Sure, no problem,” I responded.
I'm not very good at conversation with people I don't know, but she strikes me as the quiet type, so I don't feel pressured to speak.
We sit in the cave for several hours and look out over the sea. I learned that despite being a mermaid, she actually is not very different from me in terms of lifestyle. She likes clothing brands,going to stores, and reading. Mermaids seem to have a society of their own, in some way.
She is really nice to be around and I enjoy every second. This is the first time in a while i've just hung out with another girl my age, and it's quite fun.
But there is a question I have to ask her. Something that has been bugging me since i found her yesterday and want to get off my chest.
“Do you like…don't like humans…hate them even?” Even though I hesitated at first.
“What do you mean?” She asks, her eyes showing a bit of concern.
“When i found you you seemed to be scared of me, as if you thought i would hurt you in some way” i say. ”Though that might have been just a instinctual reaction”
She looks away for a second, with a glimt of sadness in her eyes and a serious expression before saying in a solemn tone.
“Well, you see, us mermaids dont have the best history with humans, and i have been thought to be very careful around them”
When she sees my worried expression she quickly apologizes
“I don't hold it against you of course, you saved my life after all, and i can tell you are a good person”
“I think i should go home now, i'll check up from time to time from now on, okay?” i say, noticing it's getting late, and feeling I need time alone to think.
“Sure, sounds good” she says.
When i get home im worried about what she said.
Can we truly be friends after all, or are we destined to forever be apart.
If mermaids and humans are enemies then are our individual feelings important, or not.
Nevertheless I need to take care of her until she is ready to be on her own again.
After that she can make the decision.
Chapter 8
The weeks pass by and I continue checking up on Jessica every few days.
It has almost become a routine of Mine.
I bring her food, patch her up, talk with her for a bit, and repeat.
I'm still worried about what she said about humans but I try not to think about it.
It's not important, and I just need to care for her until she has healed up.
My uncle has yet to suspect anything..or at least he hasn't said anything about it to me.
Things are going well, and I feel it's going to work out.
One day, when I came into the cave she seemed paler than usual.
I quickly run over to hold her as she can barely sit up on her own.
When I ask her about it, she said she was sorry.
“It seemed as though,despite your efforts,I might not make it” she says between her coughs.
“What…why…what have i done wrong i,..i don't” i stutterd, being confused, worried and upset at the same time.
“shhhhh.you havent done anything wrong Ashley..but i think i lost to much blood, once a mermaid loses one of it scales you see, the blood the lose, even if not much, can be lethal, the only thing that could save me was blood from another, but i can't ask that much of yo..where did she go”
Im already running along the shore, wiping tears from my eyes
She can't be dying..she just can't.
I was supposed to look after her until she could contione on her own, and i Will do what I must to save her.
I simply just have to.
I remember a blood transfusion device uncle had in his medical care room.
He has a history of working as the towns doctor, and have even though me a few things about it.
I will take it in order to save her. Give her as much blood as she has to have, even if I myself die.
A human and a mermaid may not be able to be friends, but two teenage girls who happen to like each-other can.
Chapter 9
I sneak into the room, and pick up the pole the transfer is attached to.
Uncle is currently asleep, and probably won't notice anything.
“I'm sorry uncle, I have to borrow this, promise I will return it”. I think to myself.
I don't like having to take something belonging to him without permission, but this situation is desperate, and i Will return it afterwards.
I pray this Will go well, or else I don't know what to do.
I go into the cave and Jessica is there waiting for me, looking like she did before.
I tell her in detail what I'm about to do.
“Are you sure?” she says several times, “you have done enough as it is..and besides..we aren't supposed to even be friends”.
“I don't care,” I say.
“You are my friend and i will save you”, ”because you are one of the few people ive met that i genuinely like being around.
I pierce my arm with the needle. The pain is bad but I push through it.
Jessica is at first hesitant but does the same with the other needle, whimpering in pain.
We both lay down in order for the operation to work.
Soon enough the blood starts to transfer and I see how she slowly starts to look healthier.
When we are done, she starts to move towards the ocean.
“Thanks for everything Ash, if you ever need me just go here and call out my name”
”Do you still want to be my friend, despite…….everything?” I asked, visibly worried.
She looks at me before Smiling gently and simply answering
”Of Course i do”
“but before i leave..how about one final talk”
Chapter 10
And so we lay there, on the shore, under the moon.
Ashley and Jessica
mermaid and human.
Focused on nothing but each other and our mutual feelings.
We talk and banter.
About the things we both love.
Simply because we love being in each other's company.
beneath the surface lies things you can't understand.
but if you reach out you can just about touch and form a unique connection
Together forever.